1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a battery mounting structure for an automotive vehicle and, more specifically, to an improvement thereof in which the battery is held elastically with respect to the vehicle body in order to be free to vibrate relative to the vehicle body so as to damp vibrations of the vehicle body, while the battery is prevented from accidentally coming loose.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, the vehicle body is subject to the dynamic vibration energy which is due mainly to engine vibrations and irregularities in the road surface while the vehicle is running. This vibration energy often causes sympathetic vibration of the vehicle body. In order to reduce this vibration of the vehicle body, it has been proposed to use a battery which has a relatively large effective inertia. For example, Japanese Patent First Publication No. 57-84223 and Japanese Utility Model First Publication No. 58-104566 disclose a battery mounting structure wherein the battery is allowed to vibrate relative to the vehicle body by means of elastic couplers so that the battery serves to damp vibration of the vehicle body. In FIG. 1, a fixed plate 1 has floor 2 and two upright walls 3 and is fixed to a bracket 4 which is fixedly mounted within the engine compartment. A movable plate 5 also has a floor 6 and two upright walls 7. The floors 2 and 6 lie parallel at a given distance from each other. Four elastic members 8 are provided between the upright walls 3 and 7. Each elastic member 8 is fixed to the fixed plate 1 by means of a nut-and-bolt and is bonded to the movable plate 5. The battery A is fixedly mounted on the movable plate 5 by means of a clamp 9 having two clamp rods 10. Each clamp rod 10 engages an opening 11 formed in each upright wall 7 with its hook-shaped lower end and is bolted at its upper end.
With this structure, the battery A and the movable plate 5 are free to vibrate relative to the fixed plate 1 through the elastic members 8 so that the relatively large inertial mass of the battery serves to suppress vibration of the vehicle body B.
In the structure mentioned above, however, as the elastic members wear down and fail, there is an increasing possibility that the battery and the movable plate will come loose and fall off the fixed plate 1, possibly damaging other members in the engine compartment.